Northrop Grumman’s [NOC] T-X trainer offering continues to change as the company is now offering a new design airplane instead of the non-developmental item (NDI) it previously put forward.
Northrop Grumman T-X Program Manager Marc Lindsley said Jan. 30 the company was also in discussions with T-X teammate BAE Systems to include BAE’s training system in Northrop Grumman’s T-X solution. Lindsley also said Northrop Grumman would offer a General Electric– [GE] developed engine instead of a Rolls-Royce engine, a departure from last year.
Along with BAE, Northrop Grumman is teaming with L-3 Communications [LLL] for the Air Force’s T-X competition, which is estimated to be worth around $30 billion for 350 aircraft. Last summer, Northrop Grumman and BAE switched prime/subcontractor roles with Northrop Grumman taking over the prime contractor role (Defense Daily, July 7).
Lindsley said Northrop Grumman this year plans to fly a prototype of its new, clean sheet offering. The company is working “side-by-side,” he said, with subsidiary Scaled Composites on its T-X solution. Scaled is designing the aircraft, he said.
Lindsley said as the Northrop Grumman-led team learned how the Air Force’s T-X requirements evolved and matured, the company determined it could reach a point where its previous NDI offering wouldn’t be the most affordable, nor the best solution. Lindsley said Northrop Grumman changed its offering to a clean sheet approach “several months ago.” He declined to answer further questions about the company’s offering.
The Northrop Grumman/BAE/L-3 team previously offered Rolls-Royce’s Adour Mk 951 engine. Rolls spokesman George McLaren on Friday deferred a request for comment to Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman spokesman Bryce McDevitt would only say the company is offering a GE engine.
Other known bidders for T-X include: Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Korea Aerospace offering the T-50; CAE USA; General Dynamics [GD] and Alenia Aermacchi; and prime contractor Boeing [BA] with primary partner Saab AB pitching a clean sheet approach.
Initial operational capability (IOC) is anticipated in the fourth quarter of FY ’23 with full operational capability (FOC) in, or around, FY ’30 (Defense Daily, Nov. 19). Alenia Aermacchi is a division of Finmeccanica.